Bradley Wiggins a rider of interest for Orica-GreenEDGE

VITTORIO VENETO: Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins is of interest as a new signing for Orica-GreenEDGE head sports director Matt White who says the Briton - off contract with Sky this year - “is definitely a rider who would fit into” the Australian team.

White was speaking at the Giro d’Italia that finishes in Trieste on Sunday and continued with Wednesday’s 17th stage – 208km from Sarnonico to Vittorio Veneto.

The stage was won by Italian Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani) from four breakaway riders - Belgian Tim Wellens (Lotto-Belisol) who took second place, Australian Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff-Saxo) in third, Belgian Thomas De Gendt in fourth and Italian Matteo Montaguti (Ag2r) in fifth.

Related Content

White reiterated that Orica-GreenEDGE is ready to sign and support a rider who could compete for overall victory in the sports' three three week grand tours - the Giro, Tour de France, or Vuelta a Espana.

“Our team is ready to have a grand tour rider next year,” White told Fairfax Media.

“We have identified people who would fit in to the culture of our team … They are people who are ready to come to the team and we are ready to support them.

“When you look at the likes of [current young Orica-GreenEDGE teammates] Esteban Chaves, Simon and Adam Yates, [Luke] Durbridge and [Michael] Hepburn …

"If we can keep that group for the next two years we will have one hell of a Tour de France team in two to three years.”

White would not say if he saw Wiggins, 34, as the grand tour rider he specifically wants – or, if he was one of several options he has in mind should his first choice fall through.Union Cycliste Internationale law states transfer announcements can’t be made before August 1.

But White still said he said he would be keen to sign Wiggins, the 2012 Tour winner who is not racing at the Giro, even though he did not specify in what capacity that may be.

White knows Wiggins well from their days on the American Garmin-Sharp team - White as sports director until 2011 and Wiggins as a rider until he joined Sky in 2010.

“I would love to work with ‘Wiggo’,” said White.

However, White realises that such a high profile signing would be a costly one for Orica-GreenEDGE.

“If Bradley was to come we would have to have the money to buy him. He is not going to come for 'free'," he said,

White is also conscious of Wiggins’ declared aspirations to compete on the track at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and intimated that he would be open to accommodate such a goal.

“’Wiggo’ has made it public that his focus would be the Olympics in 2016 ... but we have a history for sure," White said. "I haven’t spoken to ‘Wiggo’ for a while … But he is definitely a rider who would fit into this group.”

White's view is not due to Wiggins’ strong form in this year’s European spring cobbled classics – including a ninth place in Paris-Roubaix – and overall victory in the Tour of California.

“No. I know him well,” White said when asked.

“We would have to know what his plans are for next the two years.

"Obviously, 2016 would be a write off for the Tour, but he is a guy who could definitely fit in.

"His ambitions at Sky are certainly different to a year ago.”

Rupert Guinness is covering the Giro d’Italia as a guest of Eurosport.